Storm are rumbled by Thunder in narrow loss

Storms Carl Josey scored 21 points against Worthing

Worthing started the game the brighter of the two teams and opened up a 5-0 lead before Storm – playing without injured Papa Demba Kasse – came back to lead 8-7 after three minutes.

It was to prove Hemel’s only lead of the night, though, as the home side surged back in front at 17-13 with just three minutes remaining in the quarter and they pushed this out to 10 points at 28-18 as the period ended.

A three-pointer by Storm skipper Simon Kearney and a lay-up by Bode Adeluola opened the second quarter as Storm started their first comeback of the evening.

After this flying start, the two teams settled down and fought out a scrappy low scoring second quarter in which Worthing increased their lead slightly to 12 points at half-time, 41-29.

Hemel’s offence finally clicked into gear in the third period as they scored 24 points to Worthing’s 20 to trim the lead to just eight points at 61-53 with 10 minutes left to play.

The final quarter resembled an old fashioned western shootout with a total of 57 points scored by the two teams.

Twice the home side went up by more than 20 points – helped by a 13-0 run – and twice Storm heroically fought back to get the deficit back to single figures before Worthing eventually ran out 88-83 winners.

Bode Adeluola top scored with 24 points for the visitors, 12 in each half, followed by 21 for Carl Josey and 12 second half points for Michael Darlow.

Hemel Storm’s next home game is at Sportspace on Saturday at 7pm against the holders Reading Rockets in another National Trophy clash.

For tickets and further information, please visit www.stormbasketball.net

Meanwhile, the Hemel Storm U18s went to the top of the National Junior Premier League with a four wins and no losses record after a hard-fought 78-71 victory at Worthing in the curtain-raiser to the senior game.

Depleted through injuries to England international Brad Wood, Matt Renshaw and Gus Rees, Storm clinched the win in the final minutes as skipper Nick Allin proved unstoppable on drives to the basket.

The Storm young guns then defeated Southend Swifts 97-73 the next day to move into the third round of the National Cup.